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What is Cremant

January 26, 2026

What is Crémant?

In short, Crémant is Champagne , but from outside the Champagne region and therefore cannot be called Champagne. There you have it!

The field method… sorry, the traditional method

Crémant is a sparkling wine produced using the traditional method. Behind this term lies a multi-step technique.

The base wine is bottled with a mixture of yeast and sugar so that it ferments a second time. This second fermentation, which takes place individually in each bottle laid horizontally and sealed, allows what is called in the jargon the "prise de mousse"; in other words: the creation of bubbles.

Yeast doesn't just make bubbles. It's the central element of the method! Over time in each bottle, the lees (that's what yeast is called once its fermentation job is done) gradually impart the brioche, bread, and dried fruit flavors that give this type of wine its complexity and appeal.

The traditional method is also called the Champagne method… but only in the Champagne region. The name of the region – and therefore the wine – as well as the method are protected. And the world's leading wine region in terms of revenue doesn't mess around with that!

Strict rules

Crémants must remain on their lees in the bottle for nine months and cannot be released for sale until after a minimum of 12 months. Many wineries allow even longer aging for better results. The longer the period on the lees, the more the wine will develop pastry and bread notes, but also less fruit. It's therefore a matter of choice and style.

At the end of the process, the bottles are opened (or "disgorged" in winemaking jargon) to expel the lees and obtain a beautiful, clear, crisp, and bright sparkling wine. Then comes the final dosage stage, which involves adding more or less wine and/or sugar to fill the space left by the expulsion of the lees and achieve the desired style!

This method may seem long and complicated, but it produces sparkling wines that are much more complex than other methods, such as Moscato, Prosecco, PetNat, or simple carbonation.

Why this name?

The term "crémant" used to refer to a certain type of… Champagne. These were sparkling wines with lower pressure, resulting in a lighter, creamier mousse. This style doesn't really exist anymore – modern sparkling wines are highly effervescent – but the term has remained.

Indeed, in 1975, Champagne producers officially stopped using the name Crémant and left it to other regions producing this style of wine. No more confusion: in Champagne, they make Champagne, and the same style elsewhere is Crémant!

In France, but not only there

There are eight Crémant appellations in France. Here they are in order of production (2024):

• Alsace
• Loire
• Burgundy
• Bordeaux
• Limoux
• Jura
• Die
• Savoie

But sparkling wines produced using the traditional method can also be called Crémant outside of France, in two French-speaking border regions. This is the case in Wallonia (yes, they do make a little wine in Belgium, among the countless well-known beers), and in Luxembourg!

Diversity and quality

Each region distinguishes itself by using its favorite grape varieties, which gives us wines with a very different profile from Champagne, while relying on a winemaking method synonymous with quality.

Try Jeff Konsbrück 's Crémants, straight from Luxembourg: for the white, he blends Champagne grape varieties with a touch of Riesling, the emblem of the Moselle region. For the rosé, it's Auxerrois, a very Alsatian and neighboring grape, that complements the Pinot Noir. And Jeff also makes a pure Gewürztraminer Crémant, an original, very fragrant sparkling wine that's definitely worth trying!

In Burgundy, Henri de Villamont makes a Blanc de Blancs, that is, a white sparkling wine made from white grape varieties, in this case, pure Chardonnay. This Crémant is typical, expressive, and elegant, at a very reasonable price.

Because yes, and this is perhaps the most important thing to remember about Crémant: it's the method of Champagne, but it has neither the name nor the prices!